Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/133

 ee oe re Fan. 9, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. et CLAPTON PARK CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL. E give an engraving of the Clapton Park Congregational Chapel opened in April last, znd on which we have offered some observations in cur leading article. The style is Romanesque, and the form of the exterior was adopted in conformity vith the internal requirements of the Congregational Jorm of worship. The semicircular end in front, vhich is opposite the pulpit, was adopted, on iecount of the acoustic advantages thereby obtained, snd is, moreover, convenient in other respects. The exterior is entirely of stone. The ceiling is of a somewhat peculiar form. It is flat in the centre, but at the sides there is a double cove—that is, first 2 cove springing from the walls to the top of a line of arches, and then a smaller cove rising from shese arches to the flat portion of the ceiling in the centre. The arches supporting the ceiling are of light cast iron, and spring from the columns which carry the galleries. The cost of the building was about £11,800, exclusive of site. Mr. Henry Fuller, of Finsbury-place, London, is the architect. eee ees SANITARY. PAPER was read on the above subject at the Inventors’ Institute on the Ist inst., by Mr. Banister Fletcher, Sir Antonio Brady in the chair, There was a full attendance. The meeting having been briefly opened by the chairman, Mr. Fletcher stated that his reasons for appearing before them on that and the former occasion, was for the purpose of proyoking discussion on one of the most important topics of the day, and to lay before them, the representatives of the great inventive class of this country, what inventions architects considered good, and what bad, and further, what was still required to be done towards improving the sanitary con- dition of the houses of all classes. The subject was divided into two portions. The first, the improve- ment of the dwellings of the people of this country ; and the second, health, and the best means for se- curing it. With respect to the former,after making an allusion to remarks made by him on another occasion in the same room, he exhibited drawings to a large scale, explanatory of his views of what a house should be, and he strongly contrasted the reality of a poor man’s home with that existing in the mind of the poet when he wrote: If solid happiness we prize, Within our breast this jewel lies, And they are fools who roam: The world has nothing to bestow; From our own selves our joys must flow, And that dear hut our home. He considered the second portion of the subject was perhaps occupying men’s minds more than any other, and in treating of it, thought that the main sewers of this city and other large towns were most defective, and, in short, were but elongated cesspools, in con- firmation of which he quoted from the minute of Robert Rawlinson, C.E. He thought that the pre- sent method of ventilating sewers only tended to increase the focus of disease by mingling with the air we breathe the noxious gases arising from sewage matter. When cesspools were done away with, it was then said, use plenty of water and send all into the river, and there would be an end of it. That such was wrong we know now to our cost, and we shall find, if we follow this advice, that ultimately we shall have around and above us strata of death- giving vapour. With respect to internal sanitary arrangements—those belonging more particularly to the province of the architect—he thought some means should be devised for the ventilation of drains, thus doing away with the present obnoxious trap, which frequently ceased to act (particularly in summer weather) owing to the evaporation of the water. Taking the ordinary soil-pipe closet on each floor, he said, it would surprise those who did not understand it to be told that if the bottom closet be used it will offen empty the traps of the closets above for the simple reason that nature abhors a vacuum. From this it would appear that great ventilation was necessary to prevent pipes becoming air bound, and to prevent the foul air confined in the sewer forcingitsway into the house. ‘Two specimens of Mansergh’s external house-protecting drain pipe were exhibited, which seem to effect this. In sum- ming up his remarks he stated the chief requirements in the matter of Sanitary Reform to be:—plenty of ventilation ; the abolition of the pan closet, and im- provement of the valve closet ; some means by which evaporation shall not take place to such an extent in traps, as to render them useless ; ventilation of houses ; to effect which purpose, he exhibited and explained two models of ventilators adopted by him- self ; and lastly, pure water, advocating a constant supply ; and he concluded his observations in the following words: “Surely if the physician is more than armies to the public weal, how much greater than he must be that man who by his inventions, limits, or prevents, the necessity of calling in the physician.” The discussion was opened by Mr. Epwarp Hatt, who spoke of the desirability of association be- tween architects and workmen, as by this means the profession would derive information in respect to what are useful patents and inventions, not to be derived otherwise—the workmen being able to state the test of actual experience in buildings. The majority of those that appear plausible-looking in- ventions, and seem likely to succeed, fail. Dr. Lippe stated that his remarks were some- what foreign to the subject of the paper, inasmuch as they referred to the sanitary arrangements outside the house. Great fault was to be found with the sewer- age outside of houses, and the bad accommodation that existed in the housesof the poor. With regard to the former many of the sewers, as regards their levels, are so badly constructed that if would have been better and probably cheaper to the ratepayers, if all such sewers had been so reconstructed as to suit the present outfall into the river. Some of the existing sewers hold a large quantity of deposit, and are always emitting the most offensive effluvia With respect to the latter, out of about 8,000 houses in Whitechapel, a large number are unfit for habita- tion. Jooms are built, but there is no passage in the house; and there are new houses in course of erection being built on the same principle, and yet the Local Board has no power to prevent it. In the bill now before the Ilouse of Commons, it is in- tended to insert a new clause for the purpose of ob- viating such a state of things. He hoped the Government would take the control of the sanitary arrangements, and leave the construction of the dwellings to the architect and builder. Dr. Liddle then went on to say that the great defect in the houses of the poor was the want of space. Accord- ing to the Act of Parliament, 100 superficial feet of uncovered ground was to be provided to every dwel- ling, and he stated that it was evaded in almost every instance. He quoted one instance in which a builder had provided the 100 feet in rear of two houses, thus making only 50 feet per house, The District Surveyor applied for a summons against him, when the builder made an opfen- ing in the passage, and stated them to be only one house, The summons being dismissed, the houses were again divided. He sincerely trusted that the New Building Act would be passed next year, which would prevent the building of houses unfit for habitation. The one simple plan is to let the whole of the sanitary arrangement of houses be under the observation and approval of only one public authority, who should be able to deal with the house and say whether fit for habitation or not. It appears to him a mistake in placing the sewers both under the control of the Central Board and the several Local Boards. No house can now be built unless aplan of the drainage be first submitted to the Board; let them not be built until the whole of the sanitary arrangements are approved. Mr. Parker Ruoprs (Consul) thought the whole of the sanitary arrangements a complete failure. In several parts of London the water- closets are found connected with the kitchens; and the fault, he thought, did not lie with either the builder or archite-t. As long as vestries, local governments, &e., are at variance, sanitary matters will always be at a standstill; and he cited as an instance a road which had not been swept on a single occasion for eighteen months. Proressor Kerr, in replying to an observation made by Dr. Liddle, that the New Building Act should give Metropolitan Board power to regulate the sanitary arrangements, thought it would be un- fair to saddle them with the Sanitary Acts. The present Acts may be good or bad; let us try to im- provethem. It is always easy to talk of the de- sirability of effecting improvements; but difficult to adopt them. In the consideration of sanitary science, the greater the ingenuity displayed, the more delicate we become ; and if we continue improve- ments in the way of ingenious contrivances the question arises where are we to stop. The more de- licate the invention, the more it is liable to disorder. The great cause of complaint, is the extreme fas- tidiousness we create in the way we live. We may apply the best means of ventilation in the best houses, and yet they will be blocked up in a week ; and if we apply them to the water-closet, we are told they then fail, causing the generation of special poisons. There was no occasion for the alarm re- specting the sanitary condition of English houses caused by the illness of a distinguished personage, English houses having the best sanitary arrange- meuts of any country in the world. Still, this should not deter men from improvements in sani- tary science as far as practicable. The poor man is, however, quite a different man from the rich, and we must endeavour to prevent him from poisoning himself by living in an impure dwelling. Referring then to the plans exhibited, the Professor severely criticised the Lumsden dwellings, Glasgow, speaking at some length on their injudicious arrangement. the total absence of ventilation and light in some of the rooms and passages, and the want of escape for the gases generated in the scullery. Referring to Mr. Fletcher's plans, he did not think them the way to provide dwellings for the poor. The wife would put up the bedstead in the living room, and let the bed-room to separate tenants. If the living and bed-room be thrown into one, with moveable partitions between, he thought the idea might be improved. The great thing requisite was space. Tor ventilation have a window at each end of room, and provide sink, copper, dust shoot, &e. He contended that all ingenuity is entirely wasted when bestowed on complicated plans of homes for the poor. All they want is rough and ready accommodation, sufficiently spacious and airy. After approving the other plans in Mr. Fletcher's book, he thought the present a very excellent opportunity for inventive minds to improve the dwellings of poor and rich alike. Many houses are exceedingly unwholesome. The cockney idea of water-closet off landing of stairs ought to be done away with; and, where it exists, Watson’s principle of yentilation might be adopted, and the door well listed so that the air should not pass into the house. Mr. Cursrer (Barrister) thought nothing could be done by leaving the sanitary arrangements of houses to landlords and householders. We ought to go to the Legislature for sufficient powers to make it compulsory. Great mischief arose from the new drainage schemes. Persons living on the banks of rivers suffer through them, and apply to the Court of Chancery for redress. The works are stopped, and wise men are called in, who areready with a variety of schemes. The money is spent, andin the end they find themselyes in much the same position as before Sometimes a Commission will be issued, and evidence taken, with the same result. The same effects result from the Legislature as from the Court of Chancery. Legislation is too hasty. What we want is a general sweeping measure which shallapply to all houses, and be universally accepted. Dr. Fowrrer stated the chief defect in the dwellings of the poor was the impure state of the air, which arises from two causes, the overcrowding of the people and the want of proper ventilation. The next great essential to good health was pure water, and in advocating a constant supply he stated that from his experience as a district medizal officer of the East London Union, he knew of hun- dreds of people who were short many days in the week, and were entirely without on Sunday. The receptacles for water were in many cases so built that it was impossible to cleanse them, and some had not been cleansed for six or seven years, and con- tained animalcula, worms, and vegetable matter. The cistern for drinking purposes should be kept sepa- rate from cistern to supply closet, and should be well covered, as Professor Tyndall has shown the existence of solid germs in the air which are sufli- cient to contaminate the water. Again, the water- closets are quite insufficient for the use of the inhab’- tants, being originally built for one family of about fifteen, and now used by sixty persons. Two great sources of atmospheric pollution he stated to be the offensive smells from certain trades carried on in or near the houses, such as tripe-dressing and fat- boiling ; and the fondness of the poor for all sorts of domestic animals in and about their already overcrowded premises. All measures for the im- provement of their dwellings, must be as simple and effective as possible, so as not to get out of order. Every poor man’s house should be inspected by a skilled officer much more frequently than at present. They should at least be visited once a week, whereas, at present, an inspector can only visit, im some cases, once in six weeks. Dr. Piarr thought the subject very important. The illness cf the Prince of Wales has had the effect of calling attention to sanitary matters. However good traps were, it was impossible to pre- vent sewage gases getting into the houses, and even the best constructed sewers may become, under cir- cumstances of frequent occurrence, magazines of offensive deleterious gases. The hot air of the dwellings exercises a considerable suction power upon all the openings by which the interior commu- nicates directly with the colder air of the drains, and the medical body believe typhoid fever and diarrhea are the effects of sewer contamination. With respect to ventilation it is difficult to get the